WithSPGKeyless,Starwoodsaysgoodbyetotraditionalhotelroomkeys

Starwood Preferred Guest, the loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has announced SPG Keyless, the first mobile, keyless entry system that allows guests to use their smartphone as a key. The new technology is now rolling out at 10 select Aloft, Element, and W Hotels around the globe.

With SPG Keyless, a guest can bypass the front desk (where available), and go directly to their room. To get started, SPG members must first register their phone through the SPG app and allow push notifications. After booking a reservation at a keyless hotel, SPG members are invited to opt-in to SPG Keyless.

Guests will receive a push notification noting that they are checked in and the SPG App will update with his/her room number and Bluetooth key when the room is ready. To enter the room, the guest opens the SPG App, holds the smartphone to the door lock, and waits for the solid green light.

Not only does SPG Keyless alleviate a perennial pain point for travelers, but it also transforms the first interaction with our guests from one that is transactional to something more personal. This is just the beginning, because through mobile we have the opportunity to marry high tech and high touch to transform the hotel experience in many exciting ways.

Starwood plans to roll out SPG Keyless in 150 hotels by early 2015 across Aloft, Element, and W hotels.

In 2011, Starwood’s introduced Smart Check-In, which allowed guests to bypass traditional check-in and access their rooms with a RDiD-equipped key card. The company was one of the first hotel chains to implement Apple’s Passbook service when it arrived in 2012. In January, Starwood began a keyless pilot program at the Aloft Hotel in Manhattan and the one in Silicon Valley. That program led to SPG Keyless.